Saving Wheatley
by VampiraFangstein
Summary: After Chell was let out of Aperture, she runs into Curiosity. She's taken to a house where she see's the others in an unfamiliar way. She cuts them a deal, and they all go on an adventure back to the Enrichment Center to save Wheatley, Space, and Rick.
1. Chapter 1

Portal fan fiction Chelley, Angrality, and Spaceosity all characters belong to the Valve Corporation

Author's note: The co-op mode from Portal 2 did not happen in this story. Please forget the co-op mode. Karolyn wrote this.

But I didn't _mean_ to let go, I told myself for the millionth time. Just because he tried to murder me doesn't mean I'd send him off into space like that. I mean I'm sure Wheatley was just insecure. Yes! That was it! And he was getting used to GLaDOS' body.

"Oh, excuses don't matter now!" I told me Companion Cube. "He's gone! And I don't even have a portal gun!"

"At least you have me! And I don't hold anything against you for incinerating me! I would've been destroyed anyway!" Companion Cube told me- again.

"You've said that before," I told him.

"And you've complained about losing Wheatley before! You should just feel lucky GLaDOS let you go alive! Why are you so obsessed with this Wheatley guy anyway? Focus on getting us out of this field of wheat!"

"Okay, okay! You know, you complain a lot." But I picked him up anyway and headed… well, wherever Companion Cube told me to go. I really couldn't think straight.

"Turn left… here! Now, do you see the building over there?" I looked up, and sure enough, the top of a building showed above the wall of wheat. "Okay, I'm hoping you're not so disoriented you can't walk toward the building…." I glared down at Companion Cube. "Sorry," he muttered. "You just haven't been outside in a long time…."

"The Enrichment Center _did_ have lighting," I reminded him.

"I know that, but it's nothing compared to the actual sun!"

"Okay, well despite your worries, I'm fine. However, I am starting to really wonder about_ why_ you complain so much!"

"Ask yourself that. Why do you _want_ me to complain?" Okay. _That_ lapsed me into silence for a while. I watched as the building slowly came closer, and then became more buildings. Soon, a whole town was visible, sitting below us at the bottom of the hill.

It was a nice little town, full of life. Crap! That meant a lot of people, and I was sure to be a mess! I needed to find a place to stay….

Just then, some little girl walked up to me. She had bright orange hair and dark green eyes. "Heeeeeyyyyy…. You're that lady from the testing chambers! Hi!" she said.

"Um… hi. Who are you?" I asked. The bigger question was how did she know about the test chambers.

"I'm Cassandra! The curiosity core! Since when do you talk? How have you been? Do you know where we are? Where can I get some food? I'm not used to being hungry." She said all of that very fast and with a smile so big, I'm surprised her cheeks didn't explode.

"Wait. You're the curiosity core? But… you're human! How did this happen to you?"

"I'm not sure. But I know Jarek, Phoebe, Craig, Honey, and Caroline are all human too. We're all living in a house down in the town. You should join us! Honey's making cake…."

"Who are all these people?"

"Oh yea! Anger core, Morality core, Fact core, Cake core, and GLaDOS."

"_GLaDOS_ is there! _GLaDOS is human?_" I shouted. I looked down at Companion Cube. He looked nervous. I didn't blame him. After all, GLaDOS _did_ make me incinerate him. "Okay. I'll come." To Companion Cube I said, "It's the only place we have to stay. We have no money."

Not even he could argue with that. Cassandra, as she was to be called, started leading the way. "So how'd you get a house?" I asked casually.

"Oh, GLaDOS has her ways…. Let's just leave it at that…." Oh boy. Now I was scared. But it was too late. We were at the house. It was a nice sized house with three stories. As we walked up, the door opened to reveal a woman with dark, curly brown hair. She wore a white dress and a choker necklace with a red feather.

"Oh Chell, I told you not to come back," said a familiar voice, but much more human. "Just call me Caroline."


	2. Chapter 2

"Well since Cassandra took the time to bring you here, you might as well stay. Perhaps you could even be of some help. After all, we need food and you seem to know plenty about that. Though it would sure help if you could talk. No matter. I'll find a way. I always do! Like how I got this house! You, of course, remember my style. I flooded the place with deadly neurotoxin! The old owners actually believed the deadly part was heavy sarcasm! It was funny watching as they slowly realized what was really happening! Oh, what is it Cassandra?"

Ever since GLaDOS mentioned talking, Cassandra had been trying to get her attention. "But Chell _can_ talk! She talked to me!" Then she leaned over and whispered, "She even talked to that box. What's his name again?"

GLaDOS looked over at me. "Oh so you _can_ talk, huh? You can talk, but all you've ever given me was the silent treatment. You silently killed me. You couldn't even say 'goodbye'. I would've given you a farewell. Well, at least you can explain things now I guess."

Looking behind GLaDOS, I could see all of the other cores. Which, of course, reminded me of Wheatley. I had an idea. "I'll explain things on one condition. We rescue Wheatley and the Space and Adventure cores afterward."

"That moron? Ugh! You're really going to make me regret those subtle comments on your weight aren't you?"

"Wheatley may have made some mistakes, and may or may not have been made to be a, as you say, a 'moron', but he still deserves a real life. He needs a second chance!" I said.

"Okay, Wheatley made mistakes! But what about my space man? My Alan? What did he do? Why would you doom him?" Cassandra asked.

"That was a sacrifice I was willing to make to get rid of the blue eyed idiot. So was Adventure core I'm afraid. They were irrelevant to our survival."

"It wasn't a sacrifice _I_ was willing to make!"

"Well apparently we're going to have to save him, so you can quit complaining."

"Yes. And don't forget you're human now, Caroline, so you candie now. Just something to think about if you got any thoughts on skipping out on your promise. And it's like you said, 'everybody loves revenge!'" I told her. I _wasn't_ losing my one chance at getting Wheatley back!

"Fine, fine I get it! I'm human! I'm weaker than before! The only bright side is that I'm thinner than _you_. You know, I should have just killed you when I had the chance. I'm almost beginning to think that would have been easier. _Almost_. Of course, now that I'm human, I need your help. Well, we all need your help. Okay, here's the thing. I'll provide introductions, and then you tell us how to live. Then we'll save Rick, Alan, and (unfortunately) Wheatley. Anger core is Jarek, Morality core is Phoebe, Fact core is Craig, and Cake core is Honey."

Jarek had spiky, bright red hair and brown eyes. Phoebe had dark purple hair that swept down to her mid-back and light blue eyes that were just a little creepy. Craig had bubblegum pink hair (strange) that was cut short with dark gray eyes. Honey had bright blue hair that stopped at her shoulders and equally blue eyes. They were all a little unusual.

"Okay, so to get food, you'll need to get a job. All of you should try to get one. It'll take a lot to sustain all of us." I explained.

"What are jobs? Why do we need them? How will they help us get food?" Cassandra shot in.

"A job is work. You'll be given certain tasks to complete depending on what your job is. You get paid for doing your job. The money pays for food." I went over to get today's newspaper and flipped to the "Help Wanted" page. "Okay, so Honey, this opening for a baker would be good for you. A guidance counseling job would work for you, Phoebe. Craig, you can teach in the school. Cassandra, you're not old enough to work, so you can go to school to learn. As for Jarek… why don't you just become a… a…"

Phoebe came over and took a look at the paper. "Oh, sweetie! Sign up for an animal shelter employee! The animals would be so cute!"

"Fine…" he agreed.

"What can I be?" GLaDOS asked.

"Ummm…. What do you want to be?" I asked.

"I'll be a banker. I'm actually smart enough."

"What will you do Chell?" Cassandra asked.

"Oh… um…"

"So that's it. We work while you sit around doing nothing. The usual I suppose. Well you _will_ help this time. So, what job will you choose?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hmmmm…. So what job _would_ be good for me?" I asked.

"I don't know. Just don't choose anything that requires a brain or compassion." GLaDOS said.

I looked closer at the jobs. Ah! There! I could be an equipment tester. I pointed that out to Caroline. "Yes. You'd be familiar with that job. Just don't murder the person trying to help you. They might actually acquire a taste for revenge. Not everyone is as forgiving as I am."

"Well we won't need to work for long. We just need to stock up on some food. Then we can head back to Aperture to save Wheatley, Alan, and Rick."

"We won't die in Aperture without food?" Caroline inquired.

"Well I've been without food for how long…?"

"Good point. It's a wonder you even survived. And unfortunate."

"You know what? You can just shut up!"

"Hmmm… You know? I think I liked you better when you didn't speak."

"Whatever. What are we going to do once we get back to the lab? Where's the portal gun and where do we have to get to anyways?"

"I'll explain these issues when we come to them."

"Fine. So, where do I sleep?"

"You can stay with Cassandra. Jarek and Phoebe are in a room. Honey and Craig are in another. You and Cassandra will now stay together. And I, of course, get my own room. Don't worry. Companion Cube will stay with you too. There's a nice, little sleeping bag he can use. Now Cassandra, go show them to their room."

We took the stairs up to the third floor. Third door on the right. I'd need to remember that. Third floor, third door. Easy enough.

The room we were in was big enough for two humans and a large cube to live comfortably. There were two, twin-sized beds with light orange comforters with darker orange swirls all over them. Ugh. I was sick of orange. My outfit was all orange with the exception of my white tank top. Maybe I should just change wardrobe instead. I'd need some money before that. And before getting money, I'd need a shower…. Speaking of which…

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Right across the hall. Why? If you need a towel or anything, they're in the closet. Before you go, do you like the room?"

"Well the shelves are more than enough storage space. The walls are a bit bare though… But we can always fix that. All in all, it's a fine room. And we won't need it for very long. We'll be heading to Aperture soon." Then I walked out to the bathroom.

I felt much better after my shower. All the dirt and grime was out of my hair, and I no longer smelled like wheat. Instead, I smelled like the lilac shampoo and soap I'd used. (I _had_ to smell good for Wheatley. Well if the smell of the lab didn't ruin it.)

Then I went back to the bedroom, set Companion Cube in the sleeping bag, and went to bed. I fell to sleep almost instantly. I was _exhausted_!

In my dream, I was sitting on a star. Looking around me, I saw Cassandra sitting beside me. Then, out of no where, Wheatley and Alan walked up. _As humans!_ Wheatley took both of my hands, and suddenly, we were dancing. Not underneath the moon, but on it. Not that I noticed much of it. My attention was completely on his face. It was beautiful. His deep, blue eyes whispering how he truly felt. His golden brown locks of hair fluttering as if in a light breeze. Then, he bent down, slowly, gently, to touch his lips to mine…

That's when I awoke to GLaDOS' yelling voice.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Wake up! It's time for you to wake up and get a job interview!" Caroline yelled through the door.

"Okay! I'm up!" I pulled my tank top and pants on. I left my jacket in the room, because of the Aperture logo on it. Stupid orange pants.

I looked in the big mirror on the wall, and flinched. My hair was full of undoubtedly, unbrushable tangles. I grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting.

By the time I finished, my hair was at the bottom of my chin. It really didn't look too bad. Then I started brushing it and found I loved this style! Now I looked… Well presentable. I went downstairs and grabbed some bacon. As I did, Craig said, "Bacon is the best meat from a cow. It has all nutrients you will need for years."

"I'm sure it does Craig…." I lied.

"Just eat," Honey told him. "You can tell us all some more facts later, after you have some food in your stomach."

After I finished my bacon, I looked at the address of the science center I'd be going to. Then I mapQuested the directions. "Bye!" I called and left.

"Hmmm…. You seem very qualified for this job. You're in good shape…. You're fit. Just give us a few days to think it over, and we'll get back to you," the manager said.

"Thank you," I replied. I didn't really feel like testing anymore, but I figured this could be good practice for the return to Aperture. I had a feeling it'd be even harder without GLaDOS running things.

On the way home, I ran into Honey. She was bursting to tell someone her good news. "I got the job! I love the bakery! My boss is so sweet (no pun intended)! I start tomorrow!"

"That's great!" I said and gave her a hug.

Soon we were home. Craig was on the computer, looking himself up. He pulled up a website and a huge smile spread across his face. I looked and saw he was on craigslist. "There's a list named after me!" he yelled. "Fact, craigslist is the best website on the internet."

I couldn't help it. I cracked up laughing so hard, I snorted. I hadn't done that in so long, I laughed harder! Even Honey gave a little giggle.

"Who's making dinner tonight?" GLaDOS called.

"I will!" Honey answered. "Chell, do you want to help me?"

"Sure, but I don't know anything about cooking."

"Don't worry. I'll help you put together a salad. It's easy."

She led me into the kitchen and got me tearing lettuce apart, and putting it in a bowl. Then I chopped up some tomatoes, broccoli, and cucumber. I added bacon bits, cheese, and croutons too. Then I got the dressing out. But as I tried to pour it onto the salad, it squirted all over me.

I ran to grab my jacked, then went to the laundry room on the second floor. While my tank top was washing, I wore my jacket.

For dinner, we had salad, burgers, and fries. Craig told us all about craigslist while we ate. Curiosity kept it going, because of all the questions she was asking. Finally, he ran out of facts and said flat out, "Fact, you talk too much."

Curiosity's cheeks burned bright red. "Sorry…."

"Don't worry about it," Morality told her. "That's why you're going to school tomorrow."

Author's note: I tried to add a lot more Craig.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I woke up to see Cassandra was already gone. On the bed side table there was a note. It read, 'You got the job. You start tomorrow. The pay is ten dollars an hour. You work a seven hour day, starting at 9:00 am and ending at 4:00 pm. Your days are Monday through Friday. Don't forget to donate some money to food and other expenses. Caroline'

Oh good. So I had a day to relax. There had to be some money around here somewhere that I could use to get some new clothes. Nothing much. Just a few pair of jeans and tank tops. That was all I needed.

First, I made sure that no one was here. If GLaDOS found out, she would kill me. But I needed to get some clothes. I was determined. I looked around the house searching in drawers, between couch cushions, under beds, everywhere. Finally, I found the stash in a jar under the sink in the kitchen. I grabbed some money, and was out the door.

I found a nice store called Shelly's Clothing Department. Inside I found plenty of jeans and shirts. I got three pairs of jeans, a blue tank top, a pink one, a green one, and a purple one. I paid for them and left. There was plenty of money left too. I should be fine.

At home, I changed clothes. It felt great to be in clean clothes! I spent the rest of the day researching the place I would work. It seemed safe. Nothing like Aperture. Oh well. It was a job I needed, so it didn't matter right now.

Cassandra and Craig got home at the same time. "Fact, I got the job. Fact, I love it at school."

"I like it too! I get to ask so many questions! Like, what's your name, how are you, how do you multiply two digit numbers…. It's so awesome!"

But Chell wasn't paying attention. The way Cassandra would talk so fast, about nothing in particular a lot of times, reminded her of Wheatley. She missed him so much….

Wheatley

It was so dark, except for the stars. Nothing I didn't deserve. I acted like the moron GLaDOS said I was. I had no idea what Chell thought of me now. She probably hated my guts (if I had any) which I didn't blame her for at all. I still needed to apologize though….

I felt even worse now than I had earlier, and I felt awful then. It was strange. I'd just been floating up here in space with Space core (who for some reason wanted me to call him Alan…?) when some shock wave or something passed through us. Ever since then, I've felt more… human. No other way to explain it. I've had stronger feelings-more emotions. I'd been feeling even stronger feelings for Chell.

I hadn't talked to someone in so long, it seemed I wasn't babbling as much. Earlier, I'd tried to talk to Alan, but it seemed about all he could say was, "Space!" or, "I'm in space!" But maybe I should try again.

"Alan, have you ever felt different about someone else? I mean, like, not different as in you hate them more or anything! Different like they make you feel good. Like maybe you like them more than the others you know…." Oh. I was babbling again.

"Space! Wait, what? Like anyone? Well I always enjoyed talking to Curiosity…. She was always just so interested in what I said. I loved telling her about _space_!"

He was gone again. But it seemed he might be a bit more human too. Normally, he wouldn't have been able to say that much. It was certainly interesting that he liked Curiosity. Unfortunately, that reminded me of my feelings of Chell. If only there were some way to contact her. But for all I knew, she wasn't even at Aperture anymore.

There was nothing I could do it seemed. And being taunted with thoughts of Chell was just too much. Sullenly, I turned myself off.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I woke up at 7:30 to get ready for work. I got dressed, wearing my blue tank top and a pair of my jeans. Then I brushed my teeth and had some eggs, which Craig made a point to mention that they were not, in fact, as good for you as bacon. He wished. Well, so did I. I loved bacon!

Then I walked to work. It was an enjoyable walk. The sun warmed my face, and it was incredible to see the flowers. However, I still wished we could get going! Wheatley needed my help whether he wanted it or not! And I couldn't get back to Aperture alone. Besides, GLaDOS knew those test chambers inside and out. She was like my own, personal map.

I arrived to the work building in about fifteen minutes. They had me test some inventions of theirs (in a completely safe environment, might I add) that were all less impressive than Aperture's long fall boots and other projects. I left that day, unimpressed.

On the bright side though, I had seventy dollars! We were one step closer to leaving! To seeing Wheatley again (much to Caroline's despair). However, we'd need food to pack to take with us. A lot, since we weren't sure how long we'd be gone.

Sure enough, as soon as I gave the money to Caroline, she went and bought some food that wouldn't spoil for a long while. "Fact, canned food is healthier than fresh food." I admit, sometimes Fact core could get just a _little_ annoying.

A few more days went by. We got more food, until we should have been able to eat it for weeks. I went to my room and dug through the closet for a second till I found what I was looking for. My long fall boots. I slipped them on, then grabbed Companion Cube and gave him a hug.

"We're going to Aperture again in a few minutes," I told him. "We're going to get Wheatley back, and I'm going to try to get Caroline back into her body. I think she's probably happier back at the lab testing. I think you can be a big help. I'm not sure what state the center will be in, but I'm sure we'll need cubes, and I'm not sure if any will be dispensed. That's where you could help. Are you willing?"

"I can see in your eyes that you truly love him and can't stand to be without him. I'll help you in any way that I can. Throw me in the incinerator again if you have to. I'm always going to be with you in a way. The reason I act the way I do, is because you imagine me acting that way. So it really doesn't matter if I'm actually there or not. You can always pretend I am. Let's go save your boyfriend!"

"He's not my boyfriend! I don't even know if he likes me!"

"Are you coming or not?" GLaDOS asked. "I'm not the one who wants the man who tried to kill us back!"

I ran down the steps to go save the one I loved. And probably get myself killed in the process.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It took us about three hours to get to Aperture by car. Well, it was actually a van. Caroline and Cassandra were sitting up front, Jarek and Phoebe were in the middle row, and Honey, Craig, and I were in the back.

Cassandra and I were the first out of the car. We were the most anxious. Caroline opened the door and stepped inside. "Oh how I miss testing. Well, except for you of course, Chell. You killed me, then joined Wheatley, who turned me into a potato, and tried to murder me. So, right now, I'm pretty much sick of you. It was an unfortunate coincidence that you found me again, and as soon as this is over, I'm kicking you out of my facility. Don't worry though, you'll still get my commentary on how you solve the tests."

One lesson GLaDOS could learn, was how to shut up. Eventually, she would meet someone who wasn't taking her chatter hands down. But that wasn't important now. I headed to the first elevator I saw. The problem? The bottom had fallen out. "See what happens when someone like you uses our equipment? There is a weight limit you know."

Ignoring Caroline, I jumped. I fell for a few seconds before hitting the floor. "Okay, now jump one at a time and I'll catch you!" I shouted up. "You don't have long fall boots! Cassandra, you go first, because you're the smallest!"

I heard an almost silent _whoosh_, and little Curiosity landed in my arms. I set her down, and called for the next person, Honey. After her came Morality, then Caroline, Craig, and Jarek.

We'd landed straight into GLaDOS' lair. Caroline went over to where her body sat, unmoving and motionless. I can hack into my body and try to get the other cores back. She got to work. She knew GLaDOS inside and out (which made sense). She moved quickly, completely sure of herself. Soon, an announcer came on saying, "A.I. restored."

"I'm going to send a pod up after locating them, because most likely, they'll be human too." Then she went back to whatever she was doing.

"Cores located. Pod launching sequence enabled. Departure in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2,…"

The announcer paused, and my breath stopped. _Work, work, work!_ I prayed. "1," it finally finished. A little screen came down showing the pod in relation to the cores. I was thankful to see the distance was a small one. Soon, the pod was on it's way back.

I noticed that as the pod reentered the atmosphere, the little circles representing the cores changed. Suddenly, they took on a human shape. It was strange, but it made sense. If the cores had changed in space, they would have died.

Within a few minutes, the pod was back! My heart was beating at twice its normal rate. As the doors opened, Adventure core stepped out. He had dark green hair, which wasn't very surprising what with the other cores. "Don't worry ladies! Rick has returned to you!" Cassandra was running towards him, but sidestepped his open arms and ran to Alan. His orange-blond hair paired perfectly with her dark orange. They hugged each other, and she started blurting out questions about space.

I looked behind them, but didn't see Wheatley emerge. Running past them, I saw him unconscious on the pod floor.

"Wheatley! Wheatley answer me!" I cried. But he didn't answer. Suddenly, I feared he was dead, but I felt his pulse to feel his heart beating. Making a decision, I drew back my hand and slapped him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Author's note: Well, this is it. This is the last chapter of this story. But look out for the next story! It'll be the second part of this story!

"Wheatley!" It was my name, and it was spoken by the voice I was most anxious to hear. But I couldn't make myself get up. Come on Wheatley! Get up! I scolded myself. If I couldn't get up for Chell, what could I get up for? The answer came the next instant. A sharp, stinging pain started in my cheek.

"Ah!" I yelled and sat up, opening my eyes. "That hurt!" Then I saw that it was Chell who hit me. "Ah, I mean, not like I didn't deserve it or anything-I certainly did! Just, wow you've got an arm! And I know you probably hate me, and I deserve it, but I didn't mean to hurt you! I wasn't in my right mind! Oh I'm such a babbling moron! I'm trying to say that I like you!"

I would've gone on, but Chell interrupted me with a kiss. "I like you too. And you're not a moron. Now come on. Let's get going. GLaDOS' is about to kick us out anyway."

The thought of GLaDOS was enough to move me. I got up, but wobbled. Chell caught me. I just realized I was human. That was strange. I pushed my glasses up on my nose. _Glasses?_

Oh well. I'd ask about it later. I made my way to the elevator with Chell behind me. "Bye!" Chell and I waved to everyone. The doors shut, and we were on our way to the surface.

When we got outside, the sunlight almost blinded me. Chell led me to a van parked outside the shack that led into Aperture. I sat in the passenger seat, and Chell got into the driver's side. "I'm not sure how to drive…. Well, it can't be too hard."

I was so happy to see her again, I didn't even question the fact she could talk. I just watched as she turned the key, put the car into a gear, and pressed the pedal.

Suddenly, we were crashing through the wheat at a speed that would certainly be illegal. That's when the car broke down. Chell looked over and smiled sheepishly. "Guess we walk from here. At least you can walk yourself. It'll be easier than carrying Companion Cube around."

With that, we walked off into the now setting sun to our house, or wherever we were going to live. At the moment, I really didn't care.


End file.
